Turn and stop signal



uge S, 1935. B, B BEACH. 2,011,466

TURN AND STOP SIGNAL Filed April 30, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jfj'" WRBM Aug. 13, 1935. B B. BEACH TURN AND STOP SIGNAL Filed Apr-11 so, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented ug. 1.3, 1.935'

2,011,4 6e` TURN AND sToP SIGNAL Benjamin B. Beach, Battle creek, Application'April 30, 1934; Seria-P` No. 723,268 7 claims., (er1-wesen,

This invention is a novel improvement in turn andf' stop signals of the type shown inmy U. Si

Letters` Patent No. 1,848,927-,V dated: March 8, 1932,

inA which patent i;`l1e',s,ign'a.-l isY designed formount'-r ing onroad vehicles equipped with a battery or other means of supplying an electric current for lighting or other purposes, said'signal consisting of a oasi-ng withv a plurali-ty of sli'dable indicia bearingplates adapted to-be1 projected out of slots in the casing by means of solenoids connected in the battery circuit to warn the operators of follow-ing or adjacent vehicles that a Right turn, Left turn, or Stop, is about to be eX- ecuted j The principal objects' of the' present invention are to provide novel improvements. in the constructionof the casing, indicia bearing plates, and' other parts thereof; also to provide'colored lightI compartments in the casingY having colored lamps associated with their respective solenoid c'vz'ircuit's,` whereby when a` particular display plate is: projected from the casing'its related light. compartment'will 'be illuminated to simultaneously display an amber or red light. with the' projection ofthe 'Stop plate; and greenlights'V simultaneously with the projection oi" the"Right r, or Left`turn plates, the casing in addition containing the usual tail light compartmenty and' bracket for the rear license plate. Y

Another Objectis toprovide a signal ofthe above type which is simplelin construction,pos i tive in operation, durable,y and which may be readily Aattached toa vehicle and connected in the battery circuit. 4 f

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrates one practical embodiment thereof -to enablev othersv to adopt. and the saine?. land'vf/ill. sunnnariae the thenovelfeaturesof construction, and v.el vcoinbinations of .parts",.ffor which protection YisdSired`,l' n

.In said drawingse.- f iY if f,

Fignl'is Yaffront. elevation f'tthe signal showine me Oftheindic' relates' pmeteciabevehe t@ Plated th CaSe-11s, imo Pesitioniferlindicat-e inge "leftturnl Y .ed

. Fig.- 2-y is a side elevation Yofethe casing. shown Figi 3is a Viewy similar tol with the front Plate' 0i .th ,casing remit/.ed and, pel-'tions of the Vleli'eiad)..radici-a plaieshroken .and :sho s the left turn indicia. plate in lowered posimonl,

g1- apother indicia plate projected to indicate Fig. f is a horizontal Vsection on the line'-I, Fig. 3; 5l is a plan detaclfred',` y

Fig. 6 is a section of the linev 6 6, Fig.'5. 5 Fig; isA a; front Lelevation of the bearing blocks. 'v Fig. 8 is a sidej elevationfof the-bearing blocks. Myimprovedltum and 'stop'si'gnal' is adapted to belmountedby means' of a suitablejbracket A I`0` of one of the indicia plates..

l on an automobileor other vehicle in position tov be'v readily seen by operators ofi othervehicles particularly those in rea-r thereof, the signal consisting of' a- `substantially*rectangular casing closed on all of its faces, and having a`-front 15" platel, rear plate 2*, topf3, sideplates 14u, vand bottom Aplate 5'. The casing however may' be ofany other desired shape;

Onside plate 4 varethree vertical guides dbi (Fig. 4f)- and' Within the casing between the side 20' walls 4:, 4er is-` an opposed plate 6- also carrying three' vertical" guides Sia,l (Figs.V 4 and 9);, the guides 4h, 6o' being adapted to slidably receive the endsof indicia bearing plates T--S' adapty ed to be partially projected` through their re- 25' lated slots 3a into display position above the' top ofthe casing; as hereinafter described. VPreferably the near plate 1" ([Fig; 3`) bears the indicia o r le'gend" Left'; the middle plate 8 bears the indicia $t0p7: and the far'plaite 9 (Fig. 3)' bears 30" the indici'aRight, sothat when any one of the Y plates V` I---8 9' are projected above the' casing asy zi'ndic'ated'in Figs;`1'+2-3,gt he operators of adjacent vehicles will be* warnedA of`r a turn; or stopQjaccbrding" to theV particular plate proiected. 35 "'Ihe'plate. 6' dividesv the interior of the casing into a solenoid'compfrtrnent B (Fig. 3)' ojn one' side;,`jand n the other side .into a plate compartmentCw," the lower'end of compartment C` being, further divided into; iight "compartments 40 D, E andF as hereinafter'explained. y

The guides 4b on side. plateA 4, are preferably forniedgby Vmminting spaced'plates 4c, 4d' (Fig. 4). e on a third plate 4e of' 'g1-'eater Width. than. plates 4.11, 421;( me three pnt-es each.. having their Side .4 5 ledges flanged as `at Hyltoformtroughs between the `adjacent JRanges. The4 assembly of plates 4c, 4rd, 4e may-be secured to thejside pl'ate 4- in kany desired manner; .f Guides Sq. @f .plate' are o Similarly-1 formed bit-mounting two spaced narrow lil-#Mies` 6a, 6d (Figsi .and 70y .on @plete Beef greater, width than platesrfofdr-the three .plates f ,eachE having their side edges: ila-raged as at"y 6g to forme troughs: between adjacentzflanges; Plateq .j

is mounted in`the casing by means of angle clips 6h (Fig. 3) secured to the casing plates.

Display plate 8 bearing the legend Stop (Figs. 5 and 6) is preferably made of aluminum, of width to suit the spacing of the guides 4b, 6a. The height of plate 8 is Somewhat less than the height Aof the casing. The lower portion of plate 8 in way of the compartments E and F is cut away, as at 8a, leaving two narrow guide extensions 8b at opposite sides of the plate toimaintain the Vplate in verticalpositio'n vwhen the plate is projected from'thecasing as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Each of the other plates 1 and 9 are constructed identically the same as plate 8 except for the legends carried thereon. Y Aj Along the upper edge of eachpl te 1-8-9 is aninverted U-shaped head Ic- "Bc--Sc'adapted to coverits related slot 3a whenthe plate is in lowered position shown in Fig. 3, the heads being adapted to embrace upwardly turned Vlips 3b formed around the slots 3a (Fig. 2) .to prevent dirt and'water Ifrom entering the top of the casing. I

n Adjacent the lower edge of the body portion of each plate 1-8-'9 is an elongated slot lddffiid disposed parallel with the lower. edge, `eachrslot beingfadaptedto receive a pin Illa ona rocker arm ID pivoted as atY |0b (Figs. 3 and 4) on bearing blocks |0c (Figs4,7, 8)v on the guide plate 6c, Gd, said ari-"11S,t lllv extending through openings 5x inthe plateslic, 611,56', ,and 6 into the solenoid compartment B.. The opposite end of each rocker ari-nl Iiljisfjconnected by a linkv II Vto the upper ends of th r respective solenoidcoils I2, I3, I4, xedly mounted withinthe compartmentB* ofthe casing. u

In order `that the casing mayhavea minimum thickness preferably arrange the-,three solenoids Y I2, I3, I4 innclosely adjacentvstaggeredrelation being. disposed side `by sidead'jacet th piste s,

yandthe Vthird solenoid coil I3 .adjacent bothcoils |2-andfl4.l The core |3a has an offset head I3:cv

, |3`x is connected by linky with the armv Illv operating the central'` signal plate 8v bearing the indicia Stop,

the compartment B by means of a plate I5 of substantially the same area as compartment B .and

i covering thetops ofthe coils, the=plate |5"hav ing openings therein for the respective solenoid to thegbottom yof the compartment-by through f boltsfl. [The indicia plates 1)'8, 9 are normally yieldably maintained retracted intoy the casing by means of Ysprings I'I'havingjone vendfattached to Atl'ie'platesfby means of pins Ib--8b- 917Lthe other lated core end `"secured to ka tonguezzi'struck out from the guide plates' 4c-4d (Fig: JIl) ,the springs consequeritly also normally maintaining the solenoid bores n 'Mfr' 3ft-f", 4.a .1h raised pQSitlons vthrough their respective armsl Q Y l .v

|3,v |`4`fare electrically` excited its rey |2ai^|3a|4a will beV 'drawn downwardlyV by magnetic'action 'therebyn lifting lits re- 'latedfplate 1-"8-79through'itscasing'slot 3a into Y "'displayposition. VV,The electriccurrent'foroperat- .2,011,466 l through wires lb--llli--Zllbv (Fig. 3), then passes e soft iron cores"` |2a,' |3a, I ,4a. of their- Preferably the three coils arein Y l L Byj the above constrctiomfwhen'fany Vof the Y solenoids I2,

through the solenoid coils and is grounded to the vehicle frame, causing a magnetic rflux to be set up in the excited solenoid I2, I3 or I4. The magnetic flux, which exerts a pull on the soft iron core, draws said core down into the solenoid causing its related arm I0, which is fastened to the indicia plate, to lift the plate-out of the slot 3a in the top of casing, thereby displaying the signal and warning persons in the rear ofporadjacent said vehicle lof the intention to make a Right or Left`turn, or to`Stop.` When the 'current is broken at the switch, the'magnetic ilux collapses and the weight of indicia plate plus the pull of spring I1` overcomes the weight of the soft iron core and the plate drops again into the casing.

yThe bottom of the plate compartment C of the casing is closed by ahorizontal plate 2| extending from endV plate 4 to plates. Avertical wall 22 divides the compartment below plate 2| into a tail light compartment D; andY a horizontal walll'23 divides the, space at the side of wall 22 opposite4 frame compartment D into an upper turn-light compartment E Vand a'lower,stop-lightcompart.v

partment F isa colored lens Iz, preferably amber;

or red. i

- Within Acompartment D is `a. taily light; bulb Yconnected by. wire 24 with 'the battery of the ver; hicle and is lighted whenever the light switchis.

On". The bottom of compartment D has an opening so that bulbV 23 may also illuminate the.

license plate D carried by the vbracket 25. Y In compartment E are two .bulbs 26-.21 connected by positive-wires Ille-20c, to the'binding postsIBa-Zlla (Figs 1 2) inthe upper'part ofV compartment B, toY which binding iposts'are likewise connected` the positive wires of the solenoid coils |2 and I4 operating-the "Left and Right` turn plates 1 and 9. Similarly a lightbulb 28 in' compartment F is connected'bypositive wire |9c tothe binding post I 9a in compar-tmentfB jto which post isv also connected the positive wirer of.

coil |3 operating the Stop plate"8;- ,Eachbulb 26-21-28 is grounded to. the casing. By-y the above construction each time ,Stopy plate''is' displayed by exciting the solenoid I3, the red llight bulbf 28 is simultaneously lighted Vin compartment F; and each time the .Left or .1={,ight`4 turnplate 'I or 9iis displayed by exciting the solenoids v| 2-|4', a green light bulb 26 or 21 is simultaneously light-Y ed in compartment E. i 7 5 Iclaim:-` p 1. In a signal casing'of thecharacter speciiled havinga series of parallel slotsin itsupperface; i

indicia. bearing sndesadapted'tobe partiypdro; jected through said slotsiout of the'casing to ,disjl play the indicia; means in the casingioractuating theslides; and verticaljguidesfin the casing below the ends of the slotsI eachiguide comprising a base platehaving kits'edge's flanged toeinbrace `the outcrmostrslots, andv a plurality of A narrower spaced plates mounted on the base plateand hav'- ing their edges-flanged, the'sp'aces between the outer ilangesl ofthe narrower plates andthe adja- -centilanges of the base plate, and the spaces between theinner flanges of the narrowerplates, forming troughsfor receiving the ends i of'the s'ldes.- f 1 Y 2.lA signal of the character speciei compris'-V ing a rectangular casing having aseriesofllpar- T allel slots in its upper face adjacentone side; a vertical partition within the casing below the inner end of the series dividing the casing into a slide compartment and a compartment for receiving the slide actuating means; slides in the slide compartment bearing indicia and adapted to be partly projected through the slots out of the casing to display their indicia; guides for said plates mounted on the partition; the guides being pre-assembled on the partition pivoted rocker arms engaging the plates and pivoted on and extending through the partition into the compartment for the actuating means; cores on the rocker arms; and solenoid coils mounted in the compartment for the actuating means for operating their respective cores, thel coils being arranged in closely adjacent formation whereby a minimum spacing between the slides may be maintained.

3. In a signal as set forth in claim 2, each guide comprising a base plate having its edges anged to embrace the outermost slots; and a plurality of narrower spaced plates mounted on the base plate and having their edges flanged, the spaces between the outer flanges of the narrower plates and the adjacent flanges of the base plate and the space between the inner flanges of narrower plates, forming troughs for receiving the ends of the slides.

4. In a signal as set forth in claim 2, bearing blocks mounted on the partition adjacent the guides; the bases of the blocks having openings therein registering with openings in the partition through which the rocker arms extend; and pivot pins transfixing the blocks and the arms.

5. A signal of the character specified, comprising a rectangular casing havinga series of parallel slots in its upper face adjacent one lside; a vertical partition inthe casing below the inner end of the series dividing the casing into a platey compartment and a solenoid compartment; slides in the slide compartment bearing indicia and adapted to be partly projected through the slotsout of the casing to display their indicia; guides for said plates; pivoted rocker arms engaging the plates and pivoted on and extending through the partition into the solenoid compartment; cores on the rocker arms; solenoid coils mounted in the solenoid compartment for depressing their respective cores and lamp compartments disposed in the casing lbelow the slide compartment; lamps allel with the respective solenoids.

7 In a signal as set forth in claim 5, each slide` having a recess in its lower edge to `accommodate in the lamp compartments cooperating with the llamp compartments, and having an extension at each lower corner engaging the guides to support the slide when projected. Y

BENJAMIN B. BEACH. 

